


Sacrifices

by Forthediehards



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Broship aaa, Gen, I had to get it out, Matt is a good friend, This is also platonic, light angst anyway, there's just lots of feelings here, this is pretty wholesome tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 01:25:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12378024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forthediehards/pseuds/Forthediehards
Summary: Matt confronts Keith after the difficult decision he made at the end of S4E6. Sometimes a little validation is all you need.





	Sacrifices

**Author's Note:**

> So I've seen a few fics like this and I wanted to write something a little different? Keith's decision was logical and no one seems to be addressing that. So I chose to use Matt, because aside from Shiro, I think he'd be the most level headed to approach Keith about the consequences of his actions.

“Hey, Keith, you got a minute?”

The sound of Matt’s voice, as gentle as it is sudden, breaks Keith out of his trance and causes him to nearly drop his blade in shock. He ends up fumbling it instead, placing it inside of its sheath and letting out a soft sigh.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

Matt looks nervous, or perhaps merely apprehensive. Keith can sense the uncertainty radiating off of him, evident in his eyes and the way he flexes his fingers repeatedly at his side. He watches Matt take a breath, shaky but deep, and finally move to sit next to him on his bed.

“It’s about what happened yesterday…”

Keith wants to groan, forcing himself to bite down the venom that sits on the tip of his tongue. Matt barely knows him, and the last thing he means is any harm. Keith knows this conversation will be a test of his will, however.

“What happened yesterday was no big deal. It’s over now, and everything worked out.” Keith says softly, fighting to keep the bite out of his tone. Matt winces nonetheless, and it makes something stir in his chest. “Look, if you’re coming to check up on me, I’m fine.”

It takes a moment, but finally Matt nods in response to Keith’s words, and when he places his hands on his knees, Keith thinks he’s getting ready to leave. However, Matt remains rooted in place, squeezing his kneecaps and releasing the tension a few times in succession. 

“You were just going to fling yourself into that ship like your life meant nothing. I know you were trying to do the right thing, but did you ever stop to think about what would have happened if you ended up succeeding?” Matt persists, and his knee begins to bounce in Keith’s peripheral vision. Can this guy get any more nervous? What’s he so scared of?

“I would have stopped a massacre. I would have saved lives, solar systems, and Voltron. If I had to make that choice again, I’d do the same thing. In fact, there would be no other choice. My life weighed against the life of my friends and millions of others? Yeah.” Keith grinds out, and he watches as Matt’s fingers curl more and more until they’re clenched nearly into fists. It’s only then that he looks up to meet Keith’s gaze, and Keith is surprised to see pain in his eyes.

“I understand that logic, Keith. I don’t think you did the wrong thing at all. I just…you were seconds away from death and…Pidge and them, they didn’t know. They would have lost you and not known until everything was over. They would have been devastated…”

Keith stops Matt in his tracks, eyes hardened into a glare as he pushes himself off from the bed and turns to face the wall. “They don’t ever need to know what happened…and if they find out, I know they’d understand why I made the decision I did. Sure, maybe Shiro would be upset for a while but he’s strong enough to understand that my sacrifice would have been necessary. They don’t need me anymore, it’s not exactly imperative to them that I stay alive. It makes sense.”

Now it’s Matt’s turn to glare, and Keith can feel the burn on the back of his head. The bed creaks with the shifting of weight, and before Keith can even turn around to face Matt, he feels a gentle hand settle onto his shoulder.

“I just wanted you to know how much you mean to them, cause it’s obvious you have no idea. I haven’t even been around you guys all that long and I can see it. So what if you’re not a paladin anymore? You’re still their friend, right? That doesn’t just stop. I really think you’d benefit from being honest with them and letting them know what happened. They should know that you were going to die to save their lives.”

“They don’t need to know anything!” Keith bites back, and he moves to rip his shoulder away from Matt’s touch. Matt is quicker, however, and he yanks Keith closer to him in an attempt to stop his escape. Lithe arms wrap around Keith’s waist and his blood runs cold as ice.

It’s…a hug?

“I’m glad you’re alive, Keith. You’re an asset to Voltron, to the Rebels, and to the Blade. Not only that, but you’re a good friend to them all as well - y’know, if what Pidge has to say means anything.” Matt pauses to pull in a breath, and Keith is still too stunned to try and pull away from the close hug. “Losing you would have been devastating. Please try and remember that.”

Keith remains silent a few moments longer. His slack arms finally come to life, returning the hug with gentle hesitance. He can feel Matt’s heart beating against his chest, astoundingly slower than his own heart which is currently ricocheting off of his ribs with the force of its quick rhythm. He hasn’t even known Matt for longer than a few weeks, at most - it’s baffling to think a nearly complete stranger can care about him so much.

Eloquent, as usual, Keith can only choke out a gentle, “Uh…thanks.”

“No problem!” comes Matt’s cheery reply, and he releases his grip on Keith to pull back and flash him a warm, friendly smile. It makes Keith’s heart stutter. “So, you’ll talk to them, right?”

Keith swallows thickly, weighing the decision in his mind. Perhaps Matt has a point in Keith trying to let his friends back in. Once, they all worked with their hearts and minds in unison to fight as paladins and form Voltron, and Keith can recall the odd sense of tranquility that he felt being connected to other people in such a way.

The Blade needs him more than Voltron ever will, but that doesn’t mean he has to stay away from his friends forever, right? After all that work Keith had put into pushing them away…

They’re just not having it. 

“I – uh, yeah. I guess.”

This seems to placate Matt enough, and his smile only grows brighter as he clasps a hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“There ya go! Just like Pidge never gave up on finding me, your friends won’t give up on you either. And hey, neither will I. We’re friends now too!” The sincerity in Matt’s voice makes Keith’s chest crumble. He had never considered the consequences his friends would suffer if he had died yesterday - he had only been thinking about their lives and the lives of all the beings on those planets.

“Thanks, Matt. Really.”

“I’m only telling you the truth, no thanks needed. Now get out there and accept everyone’s love and support.”

Keith can’t help but crack the faintest of smiles, reaching out to mirror the clasp on his own shoulder with one to Matt’s. For the first time in a long time, his heart feels full. Anxiety licks at his chest with the knowledge of the coming conversation, but the overwhelming support from Matt is enough to combat it for now.

“Alright, alright, I’m on it.”

“Good. We’re here for you, Keith, no matter what.”

Matt doesn’t give Keith a chance to respond, simply squeezing his shoulder before bounding out of the room with far more confidence than he’d trudged in with. Fixing his relationship with the paladins is going to be difficult, but with the strength of Matt’s support on his side, Keith knows it’s not an unobtainable goal.

Maybe, just maybe, he can get his friends back after all.

**Author's Note:**

> In my opinion, Keith needs some validation for the choice he made instead of being repeatedly pummeled with "HOW DARE YOU DO THIS THING" Because when it comes down to it, his life against the lives of millions of others makes sense, even if the outcome would be a devastating loss. He did a good and brave thing and we ought to just be so glad he's still alive!!! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at http://viiridians.tumblr.com


End file.
